Pre-patient collimator having a self-shielding design and additively manufactured components

Abstract

A pre-patient collimator for a CT imaging system is provided. The pre-patient collimator includes an additively manufactured housing having a plurality of walls having a variable thickness along each wall of the plurality of walls. The pre-patient collimator also includes an additively manufactured aperture carrier plate having variable thickness and a plurality of apertures configured to determine a size of an X-ray beam received from an X-ray source of the CT imaging system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A pre-patient collimator for a computed tomography imaging system, comprising:
 an additively manufactured housing having a plurality of walls having a variable thickness along each wall of the plurality of walls, wherein at least one wall of the plurality of walls comprises a lattice structure within; and 
 an additively manufactured aperture carrier plate having variable thickness and a plurality of apertures configured to determine a size of an X-ray beam received from an X-ray source of the CT imaging system. 
 
     
     
       2. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wall of the plurality of walls comprises a solid structure within. 
     
     
       3. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wall of plurality of walls comprises both a lattice structure within and a solid structure within. 
     
     
       4. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls are configured to provide integrated and gapless X-ray shielding without additional attenuating material attached to the additively manufactured housing, wherein the gapless X-ray shielding is configured to keep X-rays from exiting the pre-patient collimator except through an aperture of the plurality of apertures. 
     
     
       5. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 1 , wherein the additively manufactured housing comprises a plurality of ribs integral to the additively manufactured housing and configured to provide uniform stress distribution and uniform deflection along the additively manufactured housing. 
     
     
       6. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of ribs comprises at least one rib extending along at least one edge of at least two walls of the plurality of walls. 
     
     
       7. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of ribs comprises a set of ribs integral to a wall of the plurality of walls configured to directly face the X-ray source, wherein the set of ribs are configured to reduce deflection and stress due to centrifugal forces during rotation of the X-ray source. 
     
     
       8. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls comprises a first wall configured to face the X-ray source, a second wall and a third wall flanking the first wall, and a fourth wall extending between the second wall and the third wall adjacent the first wall, wherein the additively manufactured housing comprises a first set of side structures integral to second and third walls that extend into the internal space of the additively manufactured housing that are configured to couple to and support functional components of the pre-patient collimator, and the additively manufacturing housing comprises an additional side structure integral to the fourth wall that extend into the internal space that are configured to couple to a bowtie filter. 
     
     
       9. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 1 , wherein the additively manufactured aperture carrier plate comprises a plate portion having the plurality of apertures and mounting brackets respectively located on longitudinal ends of the plate portion. 
     
     
       10. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 9 , wherein each mounting bracket comprises a first portion extending perpendicular to the plate portion and a second portion extending parallel to the plate portion. 
     
     
       11. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 10 , wherein the second portion of each mounting bracket comprises a lattice structure within. 
     
     
       12. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 10 , wherein the plate portion comprises a solid structure within. 
     
     
       13. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 12 , wherein the plate portion comprises an X-ray attenuating material. 
     
     
       14. The pre-patient collimator of  claim 10 , wherein the additively manufactured aperture carrier plate is configured to directly couple to a sensor plate. 
     
     
       15. A collimator housing of a pre-patient collimator for a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, comprising:
 a plurality of walls comprising:
 a first wall configured to face an X-ray source when the pre-patient collimator is coupled to the CT imaging system; 
 a second wall and a third wall flanking the first wall; and 
 a fourth wall extending between the second wall and third wall adjacent the first wall, wherein at least one wall of the plurality of walls comprises a solid structure within and at least one wall of plurality of walls comprises a lattice structure within; 
 
 wherein the collimator housing is additively manufactured as a single piece. 
 
     
     
       16. The collimator housing of  claim 15 , comprising a plurality of ribs configured to provide uniform stress distribution and uniform deflection along the collimator housing. 
     
     
       17. An aperture carrier plate of a pre-patient collimator for a computed tomography imaging system, comprising:
 a plate portion having a plurality of apertures configured to determine a size of an X-ray beam received from an X-ray source; and 
 mounting brackets respectively located on longitudinal ends of the plate portion, wherein the plate portion comprises a solid structure within and each mounting bracket comprises a lattice structure within, and wherein the aperture carrier plate is additively manufactured as a single piece. 
 
     
     
       18. A pre-patient collimator for a computed tomography imaging system, comprising:
 an additively manufactured housing having a plurality of walls having a variable thickness along each wall of the plurality of walls; and 
 an additively manufactured aperture carrier plate having variable thickness and a plurality of apertures configured to determine a size of an X-ray beam received from an X-ray source of the CT imaging system, wherein the additively manufactured housing comprises a plurality of ribs integral to the additively manufactured housing and configured to provide uniform stress distribution and uniform deflection along the additively manufactured housing, and wherein the plurality of ribs comprises at least one rib extending along at least one edge of at least two walls of the plurality of walls. 
 
     
     
       19. A pre-patient collimator for a computed tomography imaging system, comprising:
 an additively manufactured housing having a plurality of walls having a variable thickness along each wall of the plurality of walls; and 
 an additively manufactured aperture carrier plate having variable thickness and a plurality of apertures configured to determine a size of an X-ray beam received from an X-ray source of the CT imaging system, wherein the additively manufactured housing comprises a plurality of ribs integral to the additively manufactured housing and configured to provide uniform stress distribution and uniform deflection along the additively manufactured housing, wherein the plurality of ribs comprises a set of ribs integral to a wall of the plurality of walls configured to directly face the X-ray source, and wherein the set of ribs are configured to reduce deflection and stress due to centrifugal forces during rotation of the X-ray source. 
 
     
     
       20. A pre-patient collimator for a computed tomography imaging system, comprising:
 an additively manufactured housing having a plurality of walls having a variable thickness along each wall of the plurality of walls; and 
 an additively manufactured aperture carrier plate having variable thickness and a plurality of apertures configured to determine a size of an X-ray beam received from an X-ray source of the CT imaging system; 
 wherein the plurality of walls comprises a first wall configured to face the X-ray source, a second wall and a third wall flanking the first wall, and a fourth wall extending between the second wall and the third wall adjacent the first wall, wherein the additively manufactured housing comprises a first set of side structures integral to second and third walls that extend into the internal space of the additively manufactured housing that are configured to couple to and support functional components of the pre-patient collimator, and the additively manufacturing housing comprises an additional side structure integral to the fourth wall that extend into the internal space that are configured to couple to a bowtie filter.